Entrepreneurship

This year, I'm working to launch a few new large-scale projects (but it's difficult to stay focused when I have so many different things going on at once).

Here's what's happening with us:

We're turning this blog and resource into a fully-integrated one-stop shop for everything related to PR. We're going to be offering three different PR programs designed for beauty, fashion, and lifestyle brands looking to turn their small businesses into power brands. For brands that can't afford to hire us or another PR firm (because let's admit it - most startups can't afford to spend $3,000+ per month), we've also created a PR course (Squash the Competition with Publicity) and a media database for beauty, fashion, and lifestyle brands that want to do it themselves.

We're also turning our once-daily fashion and lifestyle email newsletter (TheHauteRebel.com) into a digital magazine, e-commerce shop, and shopping/style app (coming later this spring). In 2017, we hit 25,000 subscribers (mostly through word-of-mouth). This year, our goal is to hit 35,000 subscribers.

Now, you're probably thinking, "Kristin, how the heck can you get all of the work done on time and without spending a fortune on hiring help?" Well, here's a look into how I get everything done on my schedule (most of the time).

My daily routine:

Wake up at 7 AM, get dressed, and take my husband to the train station (if I decide to work from home. If I go into the city for work for the day, then I will answer emails on the train and chat with my husband.)

Whether I work from home or in the city, I will stop at Starbucks for my morning coffee and yogurt.

Look at my inbox to see what came in throughout the evening. Respond to all important emails while I eat my yogurt (if I'm working from home or my office).

Look at my to-do list and do everything that's a priority (even if it's going to take an hour or two).

Tackle all of the big items on my plate for the day in the morning (because that's when I'm most alert and productive).

Around noon time, I will make lunch (which is always roast turkey on rye bread with mustard and Oikos Vanilla yogurt). While I eat lunch, I scan headlines to see what's happening in the world and how I can tie a client's pitch to something that's trending in the news.

From 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM, I will pitch the media for my clients. (This is generally when the media is most responsive to my emails and I secure media coverage).

Around 3 PM, I begin to feel tired and lethargic, so I will make it a point to go for an hour run (Although I live in New York and the weather can get really nasty during the winter, I will run because it's my time to decompress).

When I get back from my run, I take a quick shower, get dressed (in activewear), and get back to work (which is usually around 4:15 PM, writing blog posts for this blog or The Haute Rebel, or working on my next product launch, webinar, or collaboration).

Around 5 PM, I will check my inbox again to make sure all emails have been answered. I don't like surprises.

If I don't have any pressing emails in the afternoon, then I will work on my next day's projects.

I wrap my day up at 6:50 PM because I have to pick my husband up from the train.

We usually eat dinner around 7:30 PM and veg out on the couch for a few hours until 10 PM, which is my bedtime. I need seven to eight hours of sleep per night to function).

If you're struggling to put together a schedule that works for you, then consider following these tips.

Create a system to get your work done. Figure out how much time it takes to write a blog post, design social media graphics, and write your email sequence, and schedule each one like you would schedule a doctor's appointment.

Figure out how you're spending your time. Keep a log. Do you go on Facebook or Instagram and scroll for an hour without getting anything done? Take note of it.

Create a weekly plan and follow it. Planning a month in advance is really overwhelming for me, so I plan my schedule in small chunks.

Don't overload yourself with tasks you can't get done. I worked with a client who set these unrealistic goals and she ended up disappointed every time she wasn't able to achieve them. I always told her to take one task at a time, do it well, and move onto the next - but she never listened.

Delegate small administrative tasks that take up your time but don't produce revenue (if you have the resources).

Try batching your blog posts and social media content. I know that it takes me an hour and half to write, edit, and publish a blog post, so if I have extra time in my morning, I will write as many blog posts as I can.

As the owner of a few different companies, I know it's tough to get everything done. It's taken me four years to perfect my work routine.